North Coast Communities for Watershed Protection

Community Meeting on October 19th

St Mary by the Sea Parish

Please join us at our next community meeting on Oct 19th to discuss strategies for protecting our drinking water, including plans to initiate a statewide ballot measure to end all clearcutting, slash burning and pesticide spraying in our drinking watersheds. If you are interested in helping and/or have experience in ballot measures, please come to our meeting!
We will also be giving updates about the Nedonna Wave Planned Unit Development Appeal, and the Jetty Creek Watershed Acquisition. In addition, instructional materials and supplies will be available for those interested in participating in our letter-writing campaign to the Rockaway Beach City Officials regarding the Appeal.
All are welcome. Hope to see you there!

Support The Appeal of the Proposed Nedonna Wave PUD

Please help to support the appeal of the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition filed of the RB Planning Commission's decision to allow the Nedonna Wave Planned Unit Development to go forward. Read the appeal HERE. (Oregon Shores is the appellant and is represented by the Crag Law Center.)

At the September 11th RB City Council meeting, it was decided to hold a hearing concerning this appeal at the Wednesday, November 20, City Council meeting. They voted "to limit the presentation of additional evidence on such issues as the reviewing body determines necessary for a proper resolution of the matter." Oral public testimony will be heard and written public comment will be accepted at or prior to the hearing. Email written testimony to the City Recorder Melissa Thompson at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting on 11/20. Her email is: [email protected].

If possible, please attend the Rockaway Beach City Council meeting Wednesday, November 20, at 6:00 p.m. You can attend in-person or watch it on Zoom. Additionally, you can submit written comments about the appeal. Any testimony you make will not be part of the official appeal; however, it will be part of the public record. It is very important to let the City Councilors hear, in a personal way, from all of us about our concerns about the Nedonna Wave PUD. Areas of concern may include loss of wetland habitat (the land and the wildlife), detriments to water quality and quantity, and increased housing density. More areas of concern are the safety issues related to higher fire danger, as well as the lack of adequate neighborhood access for emergency vehicles and egress for residents' vehicles. It should be noted that the entire Nedonna Beach neighborhood is defined by DEQ as being a "designated groundwater drinking water protected area." The groundwater wells that the City uses as a secondary drinking water source are located below this neighborhood. Any additional development will have detrimental effects on this DEQ-protected area.
Help get the word out, talk with your family and friends, and write letters to local media sources. We have had a groundswell of support for protecting this area ranging from neighbors to visitors.

For a comprehensive summary, read attachment for written testimony submitted 9-7-24 "City Council must DENY approval of Nedonna WAVE development" by Gary and Renee Corbin.

Oregon Shores and the Crag Law Center were instrumental in filing the appeal of the Nedonna Wave P.U.D.

To contact Oregon Shores with questions or information: Phillip Johnson, Shoreline and Land Use Manager, (503) 754-9303, [email protected]. To learn more about Oregon Shores, sign up for the newsletter, or donate to support this work, go to the website, https://oregonshores.org/.

Crag Law Center is a non-profit environmental law center that represents organizations like Oregon Shores in legal challenges over conservation issues like this one. To learn more, sign up for their newsletter, or donate to them, go to https://crag.org/.

Save Mothball Hill, Davis Ridge, And Slough Hill From Clearcutting

WHEREAS, the proposed clearcuts named ‘Mothball Hill’, ‘Davis Ridge’, and ‘Slough Hill’ (Alt) in Oregon Department of Forestry Astoria District draft Annual Operations Plan for 2025 are immediately abutting numerous residential properties and recreational areas, and fail to address community concerns;

WHEREAS, Oregon Department of Forestry’s planned logging fails to address unprecedented climate change and does not account for the increasing coastal heat waves and water scarcity correlated with deforestation;

WHEREAS, the standard practice of pesticide applications after logging can have serious impacts on the health of neighboring residents, recreationalists, drinking water quality, and wildlife;

WHEREAS, clearcutting and replanting practices are known to increase wildfire intensity and reduce stream flow for up to fifty years post harvest; they are known to increase risk of landslides on steep slopes, as found at ‘Mothball Hill’ and ‘Slough Hill,’ as well as increase flash floods during storm events;

WHEREAS, the proposed logging near John Day River and Gnat Creek increases the likelihood of silt and other contaminants impacting drinking water, as well as wetlands and tributaries that are essential to salmon and other aquatic life; salmon are a native species that are endangered due to numerous industrial practices including clearcutting;

ACCORDINGLY, Petitioners want ‘Mothball Hill’, ‘Davis Ridge’, and ‘Slough Hill’ removed from ODF’s 2025 Astoria District Annual Operations Plan and eliminated from further considerations of timber harvests in the future.

ACCORDINGLY, Petitioners want the ODF to publicize draft Annual Operation Plans in multiple media at least two months in advance of the public comment deadline and to make a special effort to contact and meet with residents living in proximity to any planned logging before initial approval.